Girl in the Ocean
by goldpiece
Summary: With tension between Brennan and Booth, the two must come to an understanding while working a case out in California. First in the Butterfly Effect Series.
1. Chapter 1

_ AN: Okay, for those of you who were reading 'Girl in the Ocean' before, please be aware that I pulled it because I really wasn't satisfied with the feel of the story. That being said, this is the new version. I hope you enjoy it. This should have a little something for everyone. Let me know what you think._

"Hey Bones," Booth said as he glanced over at his partner. They were on their way back to the Jeffersonian after an arrest with no plans to do anything for the rest of the evening. Temperance turned from the window to look at Booth, curious as to why he had a note of anxiety to his voice. That tone generally didn't show up unless he was uncomfortable with the topic of discussion.

"What is it?"

"I was wondering if you know, maybe you'd like to go to dinner with me." She drew her eyebrows together and frowned.

"We go to dinner all the time, so why are you asking?"

"I'm not talking like dinner at the diner. I mean you know would you maybe consider going out with me."

"You mean on a date?"

"Yes."

"No." Booth looked at her completely thunderstruck.

"What do you mean no?"

"Relationships in the workplace aren't a good idea, and every time I've engaged on that route for a relationship it hasn't turned out well."

"Don't give me that Bones. You were happy with Sully, and that was work related. Why would you go out with him, but not me?"

"First of all, my relationship with Sully started after the termination of our work together, and secondly, you're the one to constantly draw some mystical line between the two of us. I'm only sticking to the rules you laid out." Booth glanced at her again as his knuckles turned white on the steering wheel. This was not how he envisioned this conversation going.

"Well, would you say yes if I said I didn't care about the line?"

"No."

"What? Why not?"

"I told you before that my relationships in the context of a working environment don't turn out well."

"So because of that, you're not even going to give me a chance." Booth pulled up outside of the Jeffersonian and killed the engine on the vehicle. He turned more fully in his seat to discuss this with her more fully.

"Why are you even thinking of this now?"

"Because after a lot of thought I realized that I'm closer to you than anyone else I know and I'd like to deepen the relationship."

"I don't know if that's a good enough reason to..."

"For Christ's sake Temperance, one date certainly won't kill you. Now please, will you just give me a chance?"

"No. I just don't think it would work." Booth glared at her for a long moment and hit the button to unlock her door.

"Fine. Forget I said anything. Go have fun at your forensic conference out in California and I'll just see you later. I thought maybe I could have ranked higher in your life, but obviously not."

"Booth, you're being immature."

"No, I'm not. Just get back to work Bones, okay?" Temperance frowned at Booth once more before getting out of the SUV. As she shut the door, he turned on the vehicle and sped away, leaving skid marks on the drive.

One Week Later...

The sun sparkled through the entrance of Sunny Jim, a sea cave along the pacific coast in La Jolla, Ca. Waves crashed and pigeons flew in and out of the entrance, the cave's interior a safe haven to the birds from the predatory hawks circling outside. The day was peaceful, the sun shining warmly down on the beach front city as tourists strolled the streets above.

"Tabitha, don't run ahead like that," Bonnie Shuster yelled at her young daughter Tabitha as the girl skipped down the slippery steps and into the interior of the cave.

"Oh let the girl have some fun, honey. That's what vacations are for." Jim Shuster put his arm around his wife as they too stepped onto the wooden platform in the cave. The stairs leading into the mouth of the cave were narrow and only built to accommodate one person at a time.

"Well what would you like for her to do, slip and fall? I don't know about you, but I don't look forward to having to carry her back up."

"If she gets hurt, I'll take care of it, okay?" Jim kissed his wife and looked over to where his daughter was standing. She was looking out into the open ocean as waves crashed along the sandstone walls. "Tabby, what are you looking at?"

"Daddy, those birds are eating something." The little girl glanced back once at her father, then turned back to the object of her attention. Another wave swept into the cave, carrying the object with it. Bonnie frowned as her daughter moved in closer for a better look.

"Tabitha, stay away from that railing there. I don't want you to fall in." She moved forward to grab her daughter, but the odd floating debris made her pause. As the waves battered it against the rocks, Bonnie let out a scream and jerked her daughter away from the railing.

"Honey, what is it?" Jim moved forward to look, and he too stumbled back away from the rotting human remains bobbing in the current.

XxXxX

Temperance sat in an auditorium, listening to a fellow forensic anthropologist speak about the latest techniques in facial measurements for racial indicators, but her mind wasn't really on the subject matter. Instead it was focusing all it's energy on one Special Agent Seeley Booth. He hadn't talked to her in a week, proving that he was still angry about her refusal. Honestly though, what did he expect? The two of them were completely different from one another, and there was no way logically that getting involved romantically would prove a good move.

She sighed and shook her head, trying once again to concentrate on the lecture. Movement off to her right caught her attention and she turned to watch someone making their way down the aisle of seats toward her. Once they were close enough, she rolled her eyes and let out a sigh.

"What are you doing here Booth," she hissed at him, trying not to disturb the other scientists around her. He looked at her for a moment, his expression unreadable as he dropped a file onto her lap.

"A body was discovered floating in the ocean. Because of the level of decomposition, the local PD need to bring in a specialist, and since I work with you, I was given the case."

"You mean to tell me that you flew all the way across the country to give me information on a case when Zack could very easily have done the same thing?"

"No, I flew across the country to have my 'partner' look at remains discovered a few miles away from here. Now come on, let's go."

"No. I came to this forensics conference as a representative for the Jeffersonian, and I'm not going to just go because you showed up."

"I'm sure someone can give you the cliffs notes version of whatever the hell he's talking about later. Right now, fresh remains take a bit more precedence."

"I'm not leaving." Booth narrowed his eyes at her and stood up, this time not bothering to keep his voice down.

"You know what, you're right. I should have used Zack instead. We obviously aren't working anymore." As the many scientists around him shushed loudly, and the speaker stopped in mid-sentence, Booth stormed from the auditorium, leaving a very embarrassed Temperance Brennan in his wake.

XxXxX

"Dr. Hillson, I apologize for the interruption to your presentation." Temperance stood outside the auditorium on the UCSD campus with Dr. Nathan Hillson. The man shook his head as he took off a pair of glasses and proceeded to polish them with a handkerchief.

"Honestly Dr. Brennan, it's fine. Law enforcement just needs to realize that we're not there at their beck and call. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy my time consulting, but to have demands put on oneself that way, it's just not right."

"Irregardless, is there anything I can do to make it up to you? There really shouldn't have been such a blatant disregard of your lecture." The scientist smiled at her, and she couldn't help but smile back. Nathan Hillson was an attractive man in a very English sort of way. He was tall, taller than Booth was, with short dark hair and very kind brown eyes.

"Would you be interested in joining me for dinner tomorrow night? I know the most wonderful place called 'George's at the Cove'."

"Of course, what time should I meet you?"

"Seven o'clock would be fine. Are you sure you wouldn't like me to pick you up?"

"No, meeting you there is fine. I still have a case to consult on, and I'm not sure how long that will keep me."

"That's perfectly understandable my dear. Until tomorrow then?" Temperance nodded and smiled as Dr. Hillson walked away. She felt terrible about the scene her partner had caused, and was happy to be making up for the disturbance. She turned to head to her car, and stopped short when she saw Booth standing a few yards away. Though his expression was blank, she could tell that there was an undercurrent of fury there. Taking a deep breath, she approached him, clutching tightly to the file he'd left with her.

"Okay, let's go take a look at those remains."

"Whatever happened to keeping work and personal life separate? Is that an excuse to only use with me?" Booth strode toward the nearby parking lot and his rental car, not caring much that Temperance was having to jog slightly to keep up with him.

"My dinner with Dr. Hillson is not work related, nor is it any of your concern Booth."

"That's where you're wrong Bones. It is my concern, because as long as I'm here, you're supposed to be with me. Instead, you're hooking up with the first egghead to come your way."

"He's hardly an egghead, and I don't work for you. You know, I can easily pass on this identification. I came out here for a forensics conference. You're out here for a case handed to you by the FBI. Two different things Booth."

"We're partners, Bones. Maybe the concept behind that has eluded you somehow, and the only reason I let you come with me to begin with was because you blackmailed me. You wanted to be fully involved with whatever I brought your way, so deal with it. Excuse me if human remains show up while you're here. If our arrangement no longer suits your whims, then just give me the god damned information I need and I'll leave you to be pawed at by Egghead."

"If you think I'm going to go with you now..."

"Just get in the car. The sooner we get there, the sooner all this will be over." Booth pulled open the passenger side door of his car, glaring at her as she got in. He slammed it shut and stormed to the driver's side, climbed in and headed off to La Jolla cove without another word between them.

XxXxX

"The body was found by a couple of tourists coming down to visit the cave." A police officer escorted the pair down the dank stairway and into the interior of the cave.

"You make it sound as though the cave is a person," Brennan said, ducking to avoid drops of water on her hair. The policeman chuckled as he looked back to see Booth glaring at the forensic anthropologist.

"Well, it sort of is a person. This cave's been opened to the public since the eighteen hundreds. During the depression, the author of 'The Wizard of Oz' came out and saw the cave, proclaiming it to look like 'Sunny Jim' an advertising icon of the time. The people of La Jolla are very proud of this cave and it's history." He stepped aside once they reached the platform for Brennan to have access to the remains. As she snapped on a pair of latex gloves, the officer looked over at Booth.

"Must be tough fighting with your girlfriend when you work so closely together." Booth's jaw twitched.

"She's not my girlfriend, we only work together." At the words, Brennan tensed up slightly. So because he was mad at her they weren't friends anymore?

"Uh huh. I'll believe that as soon as the Chargers win the Super Bowl." Booth scowled, and turned his attention to Brennan while she poked at the remains.

"Iliac crests indicate female early twenties..." She moved up the body slightly to look at the bits of skull that were showing. "Most likely Caucasian though that's currently based more on what remains of her flesh..."

"Any signs for cause of death?" Booth pulled out his notebook and a pencil, warily eying the pigeons flapping around the cave.

"Damage to the cervical vertebrae and parietal bone suggests a fall."

"Well, there are enough cliffs 'round here to make that possible," the officer threw in as Brennan stood up.

"Anything else will have to be discovered in a lab." She snapped off her gloves and looked at the police officer. "Could you please have these remains shipped to the Jeffersonian? I have a conference to get back to."


	2. Chapter 2

"Oh, what do we have here," Jack Hodgins asked as he stepped onto the examination platform at the Jeffersonian. Cam looked up at him as she picked a large tendril of kelp from the remains and set it aside for examination.

"A little gift from Booth all the way from California," the pathologist commented before handing the dish with the kelp to the entomologist.

"I'll bet Dr. Brennan can't be too happy with working on a case in the middle of a forensics conference. Oh, what's this? Hello you little sea snail, what are you doing on this body huh?" Hodgins plopped the striped shell snail into a small specimin cup and grinned at it.

"Dr. Brennan made it quite clear on the phone that she is not working the case with Booth, and only had the remains shipped here out of professional courtesy."

"Something's going on between the two of them. She's been acting weird about him for a week now," Angela added before looking at the remains. "Ew, if that's what salt water does to someone, remind me to never get in the ocean again."

"I'm sure you're safe for the time being. You don't think they've finally quit the partners pretense and started dating, do you?" Cam crossed her arms and looked over at Angela.

"No, Bren would have said something to me. When do you think the skull will be ready for me?"

"Mid afternoon at the earliest. I have to finish my examination before Zack can clean the bones."

"Well, I'll be in my office then. Archaeology wants me to do a reconstruction of an Anasazi village for a new display." With that, she left the platform. Zack turned the remains over and probed at the exposed bone.

"Dr. Saroyan, have you seen the amount of damage to the posterior? There seems to be a lot of predation." Hodgins looked over at the remains and examined the bite marks.

"Hmmm, it looks like it was done by _Triakis Semifasciata_."

"The leopard shark? But they don't attack humans," Zack said, frowning.

"Yeah, but with that amount of predation on the posterior, it has to be the leopard shark."

"Why do you say that?"

"Because it's a notorious bottom feeder." Cam groaned while Zack just looked confused.

"All right boys, just get back to work. Booth needs answers." Camille fixed them with a firm glare before returning to the remains on the table.

XxXxX

Booth sat at a borrowed desk at the FBI field office in San Diego, looking through missing persons reports. Though he didn't have much more than an age range and sex to go on, it at least gave him something to do while he waited for the results to come in from the Jeffersonian. As he flipped through a file, he ran his hand through his hair and sighed. If his partner was going to make things difficult between them, it was probably for the best that she wasn't working the case.

"Agent Booth?" A young man popped his head into the office, holding out a small stack of papers. "This just came over for you from Washington DC. It's something regarding an assignment."

"Thanks," Booth said as he stood and retrieved the papers from the young agent. He flipped through the papers and frowned. Why in the world was he being removed from the case? He was requested to work it because of his association with Brennan and now they were pulling him off of the case? It didn't make sense.

"Well, well, well, sexy Seeley." Booth looked up at the woman standing in the doorway and everything suddenly became clear. The woman there was nothing but long legs and large breasts with a body like Angelina Jolie's. She was stunningly gorgeous with thick black hair pulled neatly back in a sleek chignon, peircing green eyes and an olive complexion.

"Noor, fancy meeting you here. Last I heard you were working with the Syrian government to make peace arrangements regarding Lebanon."

"Yes, and now that assignment has finished." She walked into the room, the conservative cut of her pant suit doing nothing to hide the curves of her figure. Sitting down on the edge of the desk, she looked at him with a smile. "Now, I'm all about what you can do for me."

"Oh yeah, and what's that? You want another ride on the Booth Express after all these years?" Booth leaned back in his chair and smiled at her in return. Noor shook her head at his cocky attitude and gave a husky chuckle that sent a surge of feeling down Booth's spine. That laugh was just like his partner's.

"As much fun as that would be again, it should never have happened the first time. I was young and didn't know what I was doing."

"You knew exactly what you were doing Noor, and we both know that."

"Regardless, I'm here in town for a benefit and due to the number of threats against me recently, I find that I'm in need for...protection."

"What kind of protection?"

"My father feels that there is a great possibility that my life could be threatened while I am in town and wants for me to have trustworthy security."

"And you looked me up?" Noor smiled at him and leaned forward slightly.

"I've followed your career since the day you saved my life. I'm impressed with your track record Seeley. You're the only person I would trust to protect my life."

"When exactly am I being put to work?"

"Tonight. I am scheduled to speak at a benefit here in town. You would be my escort. I already have an appointment for you to be fitted for a tux, and we have dinner reservations at seven before the benefit begins. I hope you don't mind my planning of the evening."

"No, of course not. I look forward to it." She leaned down and kissed Booth on the lips before standing and pulling a business card from her pocket.

"Here's the address for the tuxedo shop. I'll have a car for you at six o'clock." She moved to the door, pausing as she reached the threshold of the office. "Oh and Seeley? If you're good, I might be interested in that ride on the Booth Express after all." She winked at him before brushing from the office and past the auburn haired woman standing there with her arms crossed. As soon as Noor was out of sight, Brennan entered the office and sat down across from Booth.

"What's up Bones?" Booth looked at his partner as he fiddled with the business card in his hand.

"What was all that about?"

"Just setting up a friendly dinner with a colleague is all."

A ride on the 'Booth Express' would hardly be classified as dinner. She was blatantly propositioning you for sex."

"Yeah, I caught that, thanks. Now, what are you doing here Bones?"

"Angela called with some of the results from the examination of the remains. The victim has been dead for approximately ten days. Angela entered her sketch of the victim into the missing persons data base, but she didn't get any hits."

"Okay, have her fax over a copy of the sketch and see if we can get it on the evening news. There has to be someone out there who recognizes her."

"There's another thing Booth. Cam discovered that the victim was sexually assaulted before she died. She found seminole fluid and is just waiting for the dna results to see if there is a match in CODIS."

"Great, thanks, I'll pass on the information so you can get back to your conference," Booth said in a way of dismissal. He looked at Temperance and noticed she seemed to be vascillating on a decision.

"I might have been a bit hasty in my earlier refusal to assist with the case."

"So what are you saying?"

"I'm saying that I'm with you on this case, but I still have a schedule to keep at the forensics conference."

"That's not necessary really, but it is nice to know you still want to work with me. For a while I thought you were avoiding me because you were uncomfortable with me having asked you out."

"You aren't going to have sex with her, are you?"

"What?"

"Your colleague. Are you going to have sex with her?"

"I hadn't really thought about it, but most likely not. I've been assigned to work with her. Why, are you planning to bump uglies with Professor Hilldale?"

"It's Dr. Hillson, and no, I'm not considering it. Is that what you expected from me when you asked me to dinner?"

"Not right away, no. Look Temperance, I told you why I asked you out. While eventually I would want to be intimate with you, it certainly wouldn't be for at least a few dates, but since you turned me down, I don't see how this conversation has any relevance."

"Of course it's relevant. Two years ago, you thought I was gossiping about you and Rebecca. You gave me this speech about how there are too many strings attached to have sex with some people. When you discovered Cam was the one gossiping, you slept with her. Now after I turned down your offer, you're immediately going out to dinner with another woman. Are you trying to prove something to me?"

"Noor and I have a complicated history Bones, one which I will not be getting into with you. She's a brilliant linguist, has a Phd in Forensic Psychology and serves as an ambassador and interpreter for the United Nations. I haven't seen her in a long time, and am having dinner with her before working an assignment I've been put on with her. That's it."

"So you aren't intending to have sex?"

"No, but I'll tell you one thing. That guy you're meeting? He'll be expecting you to put out."

XxXxX

"Sweetie, how's the conference going," Angela asked Temperance over the phone as the forensic anthropologist changed for her dinner date.

"It's going okay. I give a presentation tomorrow on discovering bullet striations via bone markers."

"Sounds fascinating, really. So what's going on with you and Booth?"

"Nothing's going on Ange, you should know that."

"Really? Because you've been giving him the cold shoulder all week."

"I don't know what that means."

"You've been avoiding him and not in a good way."

"Booth and I are fine, so please stop hunting for details."

"It's fishing for details. Well if the two of you are fine, why haven't you been talking to him?"

"Can we please discuss this later? I'm meeting someone for dinner in half an hour."

"Really? So who is he?"

"Dr. Nathan Hillson. He's a forensic anthropologist based out of Gloucester, England. Booth interrupted his presentation yesterday, so I agreed to have dinner with him to make it up."

"Does Booth know about your date?"

"As a matter of fact, he does, and it's not a date, it's just dinner."

"And he's okay with it?"

"He's having dinner with a colleague of his own." Brennan pulled a face at the thought of the leggy, exotic looking woman.

"Really now? You don't sound too happy with the arrangement."

"There's just...she made a very blatant sexual advance on Booth, and when I asked him about it, he brushed it off as though it weren't an issue."

"Well sweetie, it probably is no big deal. He doesn't seem the type to sleep around...okay, I mean with colleagues...okay you know what? Never mind. Have fun with Dr. Hillson, and be careful."

"Of course I'm going to be careful, why wouldn't I be?"

"I just don't think his intentions are completely honorable."

"Huh, Booth said the same thing."

"Well Booth's a smart man. I'll talk to you later Bren. Call me when your dinner's over."

"I will." The two bade each other goodbye and hung up the phone.

XxXxX

"Thank you for taking this assignment Seeley. I know you were probably in the middle of something else," Noor said as Booth held open the door to the restaurant for her.

"Well, I do what I'm told."

"No you don't," Noor laughed. "If you did what you're told, then we never would have had that time together before. Besides, my investigators have said that you're interested in that scientist you work with on cases."

"I...that's...I'm not...you've had me investigated?" Booth looked briefly around the foyer of the restaruant before giving their information to the hostess. As she led them to their table, Noor brushed her hand up his arm.

"Of course, I had to. I couldn't just have you assigned to me, even if I know you to be an honorable man." Booth pulled out a seat for her, and then sat next to her, his back to a wall and facing the entrance of the restaurant.

"Well, as for my partner, you can't believe everything you hear, otherwise I'd have to believe that you're finally looking to settle down."

"What do you expect? I'm in my late twenties, and my father is insisting I marry soon. He says I should have already been married and have children, it's what a good Lebanese woman does. You should try the seared tuna here. It's incredible."

"You have a very direct way about you, it's kind of refreshing."

"How else is a woman supposed to get what she wants?" Noor picked up a glass of water and smiled at Booth before taking a sip.

XxXxX

"Ah, Temperance, I'm glad you could make it." Nathan smiled at her as she approached George's at the Cove. The restaurant wasn't far from her hotel, and she'd snjoyed the walk in the warmth of the evening.

"Of course," she commented back as she joined him, heading down the stairs toward the restaurant doors.

"I'm still amazed that you've agreed to join me. Who would have thought such a reknowned anthropologist would be available." Brennan looked at him for a long moment. Something about the comment didn't sit right with her.

"Well, it's the least I can do to make up for the interruption."

"Shall we?" Nathan motioned to the door, but made no move to open it. Brennan looked at him expectantly, then with a sigh, opened the door herself.

"Welcome to George's, do you have a reservation? Oh my gosh, you're Dr. Brennan." The hostess grinned at Brennan and practically bounced on her toes. "I have the perfect table for you, looks right out over the water."

"Wonderful, thank you." Brennan followed the enthusiastic young woman, with Nathan close beside her.

"So Dr. Brennan, I have to know...are the characters in your books based on real people? I mean Andy Lister is way to yummy to be fake, right?" Brennan opened her mouth to answer, but closed it again as she heard a familiar bark of laughter from a nearby table off to her left. She groaned and shook her head. Of course he would be at the same restaurant.

"Booth."


	3. Chapter 3

_She's tall, straight spine, shoulders not too wide, proportional for her frame…god, there's got to be something wrong with her…maybe she has ugly feet._ Brennan looked past Nathan, intent on getting a glimpse of Noor's feet. She briefly brought her attention back to her date to nod and smile at whatever he was saying before looking past him once more. _Damn it, she has little feet and perfectly manicured toes._

"Temperance, you seem a bit distracted." Nathan leaned into her line of sight waving a hand to draw her attention to him again.

"Hmm?" Brennan shook her head and focused her attention on Nathan Hillson.

"I was just saying that you look really good this evening."

"Oh, thank you…" _What are they laughing at? I've never found him to be that funny. She just has her hands all over him doesn't she? _Brennan pulled a face at their behavior as she took a sip of wine.

"Is the wine not to your liking? I've heard it's an excellent pinot noir."

"No, the wine is fine thank you." Brennan's eyes tracked Noor as she stood to use the restroom. Booth caught her gaze and glanced at her.

"I'm just checking because you seem really…distracted."

"No, I'm sorry; I don't mean to be so disengaged." Brennan's phone beeped and she smiled at Nathan as she pulled out the phone to check the message sent to her. KNOCK IT OFF. Temperance glared at Booth and put the phone away.

"Dr. Hillson…"

"Please, call me Nathan."

"Nathan, how did you discover your theory on differing markers for racial identification?" She smiled at him as he began talking. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Noor come back to the table. She leaned over and said something to Booth and stood as he nodded. He got up, placed her wrap around her shoulders and walked from the restaurant, his hand firmly on her lower back.

XxXxX

"…and so I said, 'I don't give a lick, he's your horse." The man before Booth laughed hysterically, turning red in the face as he did so. The FBI agent smiled politely and felt a gentle tug on his arm. He looked over at Noor who motioned to the dance floor with a quick movement of her head. He gratefully led her to the floor as an orchestra played.

"The delegate from Texas can sometimes be a little tough to take," Noor said as they glided across the floor.

"If I had to listen to one more horse story I was going to pull out my gun and put the man out of his misery." Booth grinned as she laughed, the smoky sound washing over him. He scanned over the room, taking a look at the attendees. "Is there anything else you need to be here for?"

"No, not particularly. Did you have something in mind?"

"I just think it might be wise to leave. With a threat against you, it's safer to keep you out of such public places."

"This isn't a first time for me you know."

"Yeah, the first time there was a threat you were abducted ad I was sent in to save your ass."

"And as I recall, I was quite grateful."

"I seem to remember that too."

"So what do you have in mind, something more intimate?"

"Something like that." Booth's cell phone beeped. He pulled it out for a moment and placed it back in his pocket when he saw Brennan's number. Whatever she had to say could wait until the next morning.

"Then I think I know somewhere we can go." Noor smiled and pulled away from Seeley, taking his hand. They wove their way through the other dancers and made their way to the coat check. After collecting Noor's wrap, the pair left the gala, Booth's hand dangerously low on her back.

XxXxX

Booth held Noor to him, his hands working down the zipper of her evening gown. His lips were on hers as she worked the buttons on his shirt undone. When the gown slid off Noor's body, Booth pulled away from her to take a look at her.

"You've filled out quite a bit since last time," he murmured as he shrugged out of his shirt.

"Maturity's not the only thing that comes with age Seeley." He looked her up and down from her heeled sandals, up her long legs to the scrap of lace barely covering her, past her tiny waist to her full, firm breasts.

"You are absolutely beautiful."

"You look pretty good yourself." She stepped toward him, her hands skimming over his chest as she pressed herself against him. Just as their lips were about to meet again, Booth's cell phone rang. He groaned and pulled it from his pocket.

"This had better not be Bones again," he groaned as he looked at the display. To his surprise, the call was from Caroline Julian. Still when faced with either Noor in just about nothing or a chat with Caroline… there was one clear winner. He tossed the phone onto the bedside table and planted his lips firmly onto Noor's. That was more like it. The phone rang again.

"Seeley, just answer it. The interruptions will continue until you do." Booth sighed and ran a hand through his hair as he retrieved the phone.

"Booth."

"Cherie, my plane lands in terminal three at LAX at six in the morning. You'd better be there to meet me. You owe me for wrecking my car the way you did."

"That was two years ago."

"And you owe me."

"Why exactly are you flying in to California?" Noor reached for his belt buckle to unfasten it, kissing down his chest as she did so.

"Ask that partner of yours. I'm honestly surprised you haven't already bailed her out what with the way you follow her around."

"Bail her out? Hold on Caroline, my other line is beeping." He let out a groan of pleasure at the attention Noor was paying him as he switched lines. "Booth."

"Are you Agent Booth?"

"Yes, who is this?"

"This is Sergeant Sandborn of the San Diego Sheriff's Department. We have a Temperance Brennan in custody here that is insisting she's your partner."

"In custody?"

"Yes, she was arrested a few hours ago in La Jolla for assault with intent to do great bodily harm." Booth sighed and ran his hand through his hair. Noor looked up at him, an eyebrow raised in question.

"I'll be there in a few minutes, thanks." After getting the address, he hung up the phone and looked at Noor. "I've got to go. My partner is in a little bit of trouble and I have to go get it sorted out."

"Well, I should go with you. You're my protection while I'm here in San Diego, so it only seems right that I stay with you." She moved away from him and stood, heading to the closet to change.

"That really isn't necessary. I'll only be gone…hold on." Booth flipped open his phone as it rang again. "Booth."

"I don't appreciate being hung up on."

"Sorry Caroline."

"Now I'm expecting to see you bright and early at arrivals when I get in, and you'd better not be late." With that, she hung up the line. Booth glanced at the clock and groaned. It was already midnight and he'd have to leave San Diego at three to be at Los Angeles International by six. So much for only being gone a couple of hours. He refastened his pants and grabbed his shirt from the floor, slipping it on. "Well, it looks like you'll be coming with me after all."

"I had hoped I would have come with you already."

"Okay, stop with the sex jokes. I don't need that from you and my partner. Are you ready to go?"

"I'm always ready to go, and I can't wait to meet this partner of yours."

"That's what I'm afraid of."

XxXxX

Brennan shuffled out of her holding cell while glaring daggers at the police officer escorting her to a visitation room.

"Lucky you have a partner in the FBI, otherwise you wouldn't be getting this special treatment," the officer said as she led Brennan down the hall.

"This is special treatment?" Brennan scowled, attempting to hold her tongue and not give a diatribe on how she didn't need her partner to get her out of trouble.

"In here." The officer opened the door to allow Temperance inside. When she saw Noor in the room with Booth, she couldn't stop the groan from escaping.

"Well Columbus Jr., what did you do to get yourself locked up this time?"

"You know what Booth, you can just lick me." As Noor's eyebrows shot upwards, she realized she'd missaid something.

"Bite me Bones, it's bite me."

"You think you can just come in here and act the hero? I've got everything under control." She crossed her arms petulantly.

"Did you or did you not tell the officers here that your partner was in the FBI."

"I only did that so I could get a bit more respect…"

"And you had to know that they would call me to confirm whether that was true or not."

"That wasn't my intention."

"What the hell did you do to be charged with assault?" Brennan looked at him warily and glanced once at Noor. She scowled at the look of amusement on the woman's face.

"He made several unwanted advances on me, and after I told him to leave me alone, I decided that more drastic action was in order." Booth closed his eyes and sighed. Noor's laughter however made him open them and look at her.

"Oh Seeley, I like her." Brennan looked over at the other woman, unsure of what to think of her. Booth looked over at Brennan again and rubbed a hand over his face.

"Look, I'm leaving to go pick up Caroline from the airport. We'll get this all situated once she's here." He stood up as did Brennan. Booth looked her over and shook his head. "I'll be back in a few hours, just hang in there, okay?" She nodded reluctantly as she was led from the room.


	4. Chapter 4

_AN: While Brennan is in this chapter, there's not a lot of her…partly because I'm tired and just want to get this chapter out, and partially because she'll be all over the next chapter. Hope you enjoy this and please let me know what you think._

"Well it's about damn time," Caroline said as she reached Booth's rental car. She glared first at him and then at his companion. "Who is this?"

"Caroline Julian, meet the Lebanese Ambassador, Noor Haddad." Booth put her suitcase in the trunk and looked up to see Caroline still staring at Noor.

"Is she the reason you weren't there to keep that partner of yours out of trouble?"

"Seeley has been assigned to provide security for me while I'm here in San Diego," Noor replied, cutting over Booth when he opened his mouth to answer. The two women faced off, arms crossed as Booth climbed back into the car. Once he realized that Caroline wasn't going to move, he sighed.

"Noor, could you please move to the back seat?"

"Why should I have to move?"

"Because if you don't then Caroline won't help out Bones." He leaned in closer to her and whispered, "I find it best just to do things her way."

"No, I'm not moving. I'm an ambassador, and as such have a level of respect afforded me."

"And I am a federal prosecutor providing defense again for Dr. Brennan, so if you'd be so kind to move…"

"No."

"Noor, please." She crossed her arms again and set an unreadable expression on her face. "You aren't helping."

"I'm not moving."

"Fine." Booth got out of the car and stalked around to the passenger side. Handing the keys to Caroline, he climbed into the back of the car. "Since neither of you are willing to give in, you're both in the front."

"I'm not riding in front with her," Noor said petulantly.

"Booth, how old is she? Thirteen? Someone ought to turn her over their knee and teach her a lesson." Caroline climbed into the car and started it. "That's what's wrong with the world today, youngsters not knowing how to treat their elders. When I was her age, I would have had my ears boxed for that kind of disrespect."

"I am still here you know," the younger woman replied.

"Noor, you aren't helping," Booth said as they took off. If this is what his week was going to be like then someone would have to put him out of his misery.

"Cherie, would you let Parker talk to me like that?"

"Of course not…"

"Exactly. This young lady should have been taught that as well."

"Excuse me, but my father is the Lebanese representative for the United Nations."

"And my father was a dock worker in Louisiana so obviously social class in life has nothing to do with manners."

"How dare you insult my father!"

"Noor, drop it okay?" Booth gave her a stern glare from the backseat. After holding his glare for a long time, Noor finally nodded and turned to stare out the window. With silence finally reigning, Caroline turned on the radio and began singing along to Marvin Gaye's 'Let's Get it On'.

XxXxX

"Ms. Julian, I hope you realize this is the last favor I'm doing for you," Judge Clement Hooper said as he looked down at her from his position in the courtroom. "And what exactly are you doing on defense?"

"I'm just representing a client your Honor. Dr. Brennan has been accused of assault with intent to do great bodily harm, though it was done in self defense." Caroline glanced once over at Temperance, shaking her head slightly. That woman can get into more trouble…

"From what I can see of the plaintiff's claim, she succeeded."

"If you'll note however, she's accused Dr. Hillson of criminal sexual conduct, which is what provoked her behavior in the first place. If Dr. Hillson had simply listened to her plea for him to leave her alone, none of us would be here right now."

"Despite that, you have yet to prove to me that Dr. Brennan can be let out on bail while her case is pending."

"I'll vouch for her, your Honor," Booth said, standing up.

"And you are?"

"Special Agent Seeley Booth of the FBI. Dr. Brennan is my partner."

"A Fed huh? And you feel that you can keep her under control should she be released on bail?" Brennan scoffed loudly at the judge's comment, but at a warning glance from Booth she quieted down again.

"I believe she'll stay out of trouble, yes."

"Fine. Dr. Brennan is to remain in your custody at all times until her hearing."

"Wait," Booth said, looking from Brennan to Noor. "I can't watch over her. I'm on a special assignment."

"Well then you'd better find a way to do both or she remains in jail." Booth looked over at Caroline, silently pleading with her to help.

"Cherie, I think it's time you called your superiors and told them what's going on."

XxXxX

Booth had a headache of enormous proportions. It wasn't enough that Caroline and Noor were still sniping at one another, but he'd been receiving the cold shoulder from Brennan all day as well. He watched as she currently stood before a crowded auditorium and gave her presentation on remodeling bullet striations based on damage left to the bone.

"I don't see why she has to stay with us," Noor whispered to Booth. He glanced at her once and leaned in closely so he wouldn't disturb Brennan's lecture.

"As much as I'd like to let Bones do her own thing, this is a court order. She stays with us, okay?"

"And where exactly are we all supposed to stay while this is going on?"

"You've got a three bedroom penthouse here. I'm sure that will do just fine."

"She's not staying there with me Seeley. Absolutely not."

"Then I'm sure that you won't mind if the three of us share a small hotel room with a king sized bed." Noor's eyebrows shot up in surprise.

"I didn't think you'd be into that sort of thing, but to each his own." An image of the three of them in bed briefly flitted through Booth's mind, and he shifted uncomfortably in his seat before banishing the thought.

"I'm not, and stop trying to change the subject. I have been put back on the case with Bones, and between working the case, your meetings and her schedule it's going to be a tough week. I would appreciate it if you would play nice with her." Again, Noor's eyebrows shot up. Booth closed his eyes for patience. "And no, that wasn't a sexual remark, so don't say it. We'll just have to adjust as best we can, okay?"

"She's not staying in my penthouse."

"Yes, she is. We'll each have our own room, so there's no reason for anything to be awkward." Booth's phone beeped, and he looked down at the text message he received. A smile appeared on his face as he looked back up at Noor. "Someone identified the victim. I can finally get rolling on this case."

XxXxX

"I checked the isotope levels in her teeth and discovered why we couldn't get a hit off of missing persons," Hodgins said to Booth and Brennan through a live satellite feed. "The levels are congruent with someone who grew up in Sussex. Does that match the information on your identification?"

"Yes. Someone called into the Sheriff's department this afternoon stating they thought the picture looked like their college roommate, Rebecca Teasdale. She's an exchange student from Great Britain." Booth looked down at the report that was drawn up from the phone call.

"Why didn't she get reported if she's been missing," Angela asked as she joined her fiancé in front of the web cam. She eyed Noor, who sat back behind the partners as they discussed the case.

"Her roommate said that Rebecca was homesick and had been considering returning home. The young woman said she thought Rebecca must have just gone home until she saw your sketch on the news last night," Brennan added. She still was not looking at Booth. Angela watched their behavior before returning her attention to Noor.

"Hi, I'm Angela Montenegro. You must be Booth's dinner date from last night."

"It's a pleasure to meet you Miss Montenegro, I'm Noor."

"The ambassador?" It was Hodgins who spoke up this time. Oh this was rich. Booth is there with a politico while working a case with Brennan. He could already imagine what trouble that might bring for the agent.

"Yes. I must say I'm surprised that you recognized me."

"Noor, you seem like an intelligent woman so I'm going to offer you a small piece of advice when it comes to Booth here. He's taken, okay, so you know, don't try anything."

"Angela, stop," Brennan and Booth said at the same time. They glanced quickly at one another before averting their gazes once more.

"I was under the impression that Dr. Brennan turned him down, therefore he's not spoken for." It was Angela's turn to be shocked. Booth let out a strangled yelp and tried to cover it with a laugh.

"Well, enough of that. If you come up with anything else, let us know, okay? In the meantime, we need to get going." Booth stood and reached for the power button for the computer screen.

"Sweetie, you have some explaining to do," Angela said before the feed ended and the screen went down. Booth glanced once over at Brennan before clearing his throat.

"I think we have an interview to do."

"Yes, I think we do." With that, Brennan stood and left the office, striding quickly down the hallway. Booth followed with Noor close at his heels.

"She has quite a pull over you Seeley."

"I told you already, there's nothing there."

"Are you certain, because the body language I'm seeing between the two of you seems to contradict that."

"Let's just drop this, please?" Noor narrowed her eyes as she looked over Booth. After coming to a conclusion, she smiled at him in a way that made him distinctly uncomfortable.

"Okay, but you need to realize that I intend to finish what we were doing before the interruption last night."

"That's what I'm afraid of," Booth muttered, only imagining how that would play out with Brennan one room away.


	5. Chapter 5

"What are we doing here," Noor asked as the pair walked down a hallway in the dormitories ahead of her

_AN: Okay so just a warning, this story will most likely go to an M rating with the next chapter. That's all I'm going to say about that. I hope you enjoy this chapter as much as I did writing it._

"What are we doing here," Noor asked as the pair walked down a hallway in the dormitories ahead of her. She looked around, curious as they continued their quick pace.

"We have to speak to the girl who identified the victim, make sure that it's a match." Booth knocked on the door and the three waited until a young woman finally opened it. She was small, with black hair and red rimmed eyes.

"Can I help you?" She looked at the three warily.

"Amanda Owens? I'm Special Agent Seeley Booth, and these are my colleagues, Drs. Brennan and Haddad. I was wondering if we might speak with you about your roommate, Rebecca Teasdale." Booth showed her his badge, and she nodded before moving aside to let the three of them in.

"Sure, I mean I still can't…" She shook her head before sitting down on her bed and pulling a pillow to her chest.

"You told the officer you spoke with that the reason you didn't report Rebecca missing is because you thought she was going back to her home in Sussex?"

"Yeah. Rebecca was pretty homesick and she just wanted to go back home. I thought after what happened that it'd been the final straw and she just left."

"After what happened," Brennan asked. The young woman looked at her and sniffled.

"The last time I saw her, she had a date with some guy named Bradley. He's one of those guys, jock type, in a fraternity, total player. I didn't think she'd actually be interested in him but…" Amanda shrugged as she looked at the three.

"Did she have this date the night she disappeared?" Booth had pulled out his notepad and was writing down the information.

"Yeah, they were going to some party out in Lakeside and on the way there, our friend Ryan called her to invite her to his birthday party. We were all meeting at this sushi place off Prospect in La Jolla. She said she'd try to be there, just had to talk to Bradley about it."

"Was she able to join you?"

"The asshole just dropped her off somewhere. He said if she wanted to go to the dinner she could get there herself. Anyway, after trying to figure out where she was and calling us to see if we had any idea, she called back and said she had a ride back into town taken care of. I thought maybe she called a taxi and just went home."

"Do you know what fraternity Bradley is in?"

"Yeah, he's a Pike."

"Amanda, do you have a hairbrush or anything around that we can use to match Rebecca's DNA to that of our victim," Brennan asked. Amanda got up and went over to a dresser, pulling a hairbrush from the top drawer.

"I guess I should have known that she wouldn't have left without her stuff, huh?" Brennan squeezed her arm a little and offered her a smile.

"If you think of anything else, please give us a call." Amanda nodded and everyone stood.

"Thank you for your help Amanda," Booth said as they left the room.

"Just please get whoever did this to her. It's not right."

"That's what we intend to do."

XxXxX

"So what is the nature of this case you're investigating," Noor asked when they were back in the car and on the way to her hotel.

"I'm sorry, but we can't discuss an ongoing investigation, even if you are with us." Booth raised his eyebrows when he looked at Brennan. She was looking at Noor with an eyebrow raised in challenge.

"I'm not sure if Seeley had told you, but I am a doctor of forensic psychology. I might be able to assist with your case."

"If we need help, then we have colleagues in Washington that we can turn to."

"I am more than qualified to offer help with this."

"No, what you are apparently qualified to do is insult me in front of my colleagues, take Booth off of a case I didn't intend to work in the first place, and now you're interfering in our investigation."

"Bones," Booth admonished. She looked at him with narrowed eyes.

"No, don't say anything. I called you last night to see if you could help me stop Dr. Hillson's advances without me overreacting. Instead I got to your voicemail and ended up being arrested for defending myself. So you just keep your mouth shut." Booth stared at her, his mouth open in shock. "Would you please keep your eyes on the road? I don't exactly feel like dying."

"Dr. Brennan, you do not take that attitude with me."

"No, I will take this attitude with you. Someone needs to. First you come in and because of a past sexual relationship with Booth decide to use him as a bodyguard. Were you hoping that he could provide benefits besides saving your life?"

"That is completely uncalled for."

"Is it? Did you or did you not say that you wanted to take a ride on the 'Booth Express'?"

"I don't see how what he does in his spare time is any of your business."

"It is my business because we're here on a case, and while protecting you he's on the job the entire time. There is no downtime, no spare time."

"Bones, can we not do this here? I think this conversation should wait until we are back at the hotel."

"You think? No Booth, we're not waiting."

"Well if you're going to go of on a rant then I'm not driving any further." Pulling into an overlook he stopped the vehicle and put it into park.

"You are such a hypocrite Booth. If you were the one upset, we'd just continue on our way while you ranted, but because I actually have a valid argument, you don't want to listen." He turned to look at her, unable to stop his response.

"I'm a hypocrite? You're calling me a hypocrite? Go ahead, talk. You have my attention. What is it you want to say now? Didn't you make yourself perfectly clear the other day?" In the backseat, Noor raised her eyebrows as the pair continued to argue. She alternately watched each one in the pair noting the building tension in the car.

"How dare you! I gave you my reasons, which only backed up what you've told me time and again. People in our profession can't have relationships. There's too much at stake. Are those or are those not your words?"

"You know why I said those things," he said quietly, full of emotion as he gripped the steering wheel.

"You said them because you're bird feces. You always spout off about emotions and such, but you're afraid to back it up. You accuse me of being scared, but what about you?"

"You know what Brennan, this is not the time. I tried to open that door but you closed it. In fact you slammed it shut, again." He was gripping the steering wheel so tightly that his knuckles turned white and started to crack under the pressure.

"You shut the door a long time before I did Booth. You say these things and then you go back on them over and over, first with Cam and now with Noor. You just can't keep it in your pants, can you? Sex with no strings is fine, but when it comes to real commitment, you have to avoid that."

"I have to avoid it? Talk about the pot calling the kettle black."

"Let me out, right now."

"Nope." He clicked the lock on the doors, effectively trapping her in the car. "You don't get to run away Bones. Not this time"

"Screw you Booth. If you don't let me out right now..."

"What, Temperance? What are you going to do." He asked as he looked over at her. "Really, what? Kick my ass? Bitch some more? Be rude to Noor some more? What exactly will you do?"

She glared at him, her mouth open, but unable to come up with a reply. From the backseat, Noor snickered until Booth turned to look at her. Shaking his head he looks at Brennan sitting in her seat stubbornly. Turning to the wheel he starts the ignition and pulls away from the look out. Heading back to the hotel he plays their conversation in his head. Over and over he hears her voice saying, "You acuse me of being scared, but what about you, what about you? What about you?" Yeah Seeley, why _are_ you scared? Glancing over to Brennan he wished he could just make her understand.

XxXxX

Walking into the penthouse, Booth shrugged off his jacket and tossed it on the back of the couch. The casual air in which he stood as he uncuffed his dress shirt belied an undercurrent of danger. "Noor, could you give us a moment please," he said as he motioned for the young woman to leave the room.

"This is my..." One glare from Booth and she could see the fire under his stony expression. She nodded. "I'll be in the bath if anyone needs me."

Hearing the click of her door he turned to Brennan, "You have no right to insinuate my feelings. You don't know how I feel, so don't make judgements on me."

"Don't make judgments on you? I'm pretty sure I could say the same thing. You always tell me these things about how I should be feeling, but you never listen to your own advice."

"Let's see, I made an attempt. I asked you to have dinner with me. Dinner Temperance, not marriage. Dinner. You shot me down and then in the next breath accepted dinner with jackass."

"I only accepted dinner with him because you interrupted his lecture. I was trying to make up for your rude behavior."

"My rude behavior?" He stared at her in disbelief and let out a loud huff. "Oh I am so sorry for interrupting his precious lecture. I would think finding a dead body and figuring out who killed this young girl would take precedence." He stalked past her to the mini bar. "Apparently I was wrong. It is nice to know where your real priorities are." He picked up a glass and pointed it at her as he opened up the cabinet. "And don't even start about Noor. You don't even know what that is about."

"Don't start on her? Jesus Booth, the girl practically bats an eyelash and you come running to do her bidding, so excuse me if I'm a bit perplexed about what you find so fascinating about her."

Groaning he took a deep breath and tried to control his anger as he picked up a bottle of scotch and poured himself a glass. "Bones, it isn't her that has me fascinated. It is her circumstance." Rolling his shoulders he turned to stare at the woman on the other side of the room. "I meet Noor when I was a sniper and saved her life." Cold emotions crossed his eyes at the memory.

"Booth..."

"Don't Bones, I don't want to hear it." He took a large gulp of the scotch, almost downing the entire glass. "The minute you hear she has to do with my past as a sniper you get all, 'let's feel sorry for Seeley Booth. He needs your pity, because he's killed so many people. Poor Booth.' You can take all of that and just… don't." He downed the rest of the glass and again picked up the bottle of scotch.

"I wasn't..."

"Yes you were. And I know that it is also the reason... " Filling his glass he took another large drink. "You know what. Forget that too." _'You acuse me of being scared, but what about you?'_ His eyes grow wide as he realized what it was he was scared of. It wasn't commitment per se that scared him. He'd been in long term relationships before, but he'd never truly felt acceptance for his past. He was scared of his past. Booth polished off the glass and refilled it once again before walking to a large picture window and looking out over the ocean. Brennan approached him, her hands on her hips.

"No Booth, I'm not going to forget it. Don't change the subject."

"Brennan, drop it." taking a deep breath he exhales slowly. "you don't get to dictate how I spend my work time or free time. If I choose to spend it with a lovely woman who enjoys my company it is not your concern."

"She only wants one thing from you Booth."

"And?" He shrugged his shoulders. "Why do you care? Is it so hard to imagine that a smart, beautiful woman would want me? Is it an impossibility that someone like her would want to spend time with me?" He set down the glass of scotch and turned to look at Temperance. "No, to you it must seem like an impossibility. You're just interested in eggheads and cult members and axe murderers, not some lowly FBI agent. Oh wait, that's right, we can't leave out Sully. Good old Tim Sullivan. Here's a man who loved you, and yet you still couldn't be there with him. You had to stay here because you can't commit. You have to stay cold and unfeeling or the world might see you as a real person for once.

"Fuck you Booth!" Brennan swung her hand toward him, hoping to slap him hard across the face, but instead he caught her hand and pulled her flush against him.

"That a threat or a promise?" Brennan wrenched her arm from his grasp and pushed away from him.

"I am not cold and unfeeling."

"Prove it." She stared hard at him. If he thought she was going to back down from a challenge then he was gravely mistaken.


	6. Chapter 6

_AN: Okay, I lied about the rating change. Since I have a pretty steamy M story going currently I'm keeping this one a T for my younger readers to appreciate. I hope you all continue to enjoy this story. Thanks to Bella-Mi-Amore for your help writing this chapter, and Jamie, should you choose to read this, there's a cyber baby around here somewhere with your name. Promise._

Temperance stepped up to him, their eyes locked as she reached out to him, taking the hem of his shirt in her hands.

"I'm not cold Booth. I want a connection with other people as much as anyone." At the tug on his shirt, he took a step forward, intent on taking over her space.

"Sure," he smirked, "you want a connection." He took a step forward, leaning in over her. Brennan swallowed and leaned back slightly but never broke the eye contact. When he began to speak again, the timbre of his voice lowered and sent shivers down her spine. "Everyone wants a connection, Bones. The problem isn't that. You won't let anyone get close enough for anything else."

There was a gleam in her eye that he hadn't seen before, it was almost predatory in nature. Involuntarily he flinched. "I'm close now. What's wrong Booth, you seem worried."

"You and I both know that I wasn't talking literally." Taking her fisted hands on the front of his shirt in one hand he used his free arm to pull her body flush with his. "Now you're close." The words were a whispered breath against her ear.

Brennan inhaled sharply at the contact between their bodies. She let loose of his shirt and traced her nails along his chest, feeling his muscles jump under the contact. As her hands finished their trail up his body, she wrapped them around his neck and pulled his head down to hers, their lips making contact.

He moved an arm up her back and over her shoulder, wrapping his fingers into her hair. To say he was shocked by her move would be an understatement, but the adrenaline pumping through his veins blocked out all thoughts. Taking another step towards her he wrapped his arm tighter around her waist and pulled her hips closer against him and deepened the kiss.

She could feel desire building in her own body as she pressed herself against the length of him, one of her legs skimming his and coming close to his groin. She took advantage of his momentary surprise and slipped her tongue between his lips, tracing over his teeth and the roof of his mouth as she slid one hand down and grabbed the firm muscles of his ass.

Grinding his hips into hers he moved down to grab the globes of her backside. Squeezing, he moved her the few steps backwards so that her back was against the bar. He pushed their bodies into the rough edge and lifted her so that she was sitting in front of him. His fingers grazed the edge of her shirt, her skin underneath warm against his fingertips. Without warning he pulled away from her mouth. She looked at him curiously until his intention became clear. Booth pulled her shirt up over her head and tossed it behind them where it landed on the arm of a couch.

He paused for a moment to look at her. Her breathing was quick and shallow, making her chest heave up and down with each breath. Reaching forward, he took one of her breasts in his hand and massaged it, liking how it fit perfectly in his palm. Brennan grabbed at his hair roughly and pulled him back to her, taking his lower lip in between her teeth and sucking on it.

The feel of her teeth on his lip sent a small shiver down his spine. Pulling her body closer to his, Booth ground his hips into the apex of her. He felt the vibrations of her moan course through his mouth and he groaned in response. He dug his fingers into her hair and grabbed a handful yanking her head back somewhat forcefully. The action pulled their mouths apart with a smack.

"Booth," she gasped and closed her eyes for a moment as she felt very much exposed to him. Seeing her smooth neck exposed he rubbed the stubble of his shadowed face against it. As her skin reddened from the scratch of his movement, a primal urge overcame him. He brought his mouth down hard onto the column of her throat again and sucked the skin hard. Brennan leaned her head farther to the side to give him better access as he left a mark and it occurred to him somewhere in the back of his mind that she trusted him to not hurt her.

Booth kissed a trail down to her chest and traced his tongue along the satin line of her bra, enjoying the way she arched toward him. He could see her nipples tight and straining against the material separating them and he took one into his mouth, clamping his teeth around it.

Brennan gasped and arched toward him again, a breathy "yes," falling from her lips. Her hands sought out his shirt, tugging on the material to expose his muscular chest. Booth pulled away from her long enough to rid himself of the shirt before attacking her other nipple with his mouth. He could feel her shudder slightly against him, and could feel the scratch of her nails as she drew them up his back, tracing the muscles rippling under his skin.

He trailed kisses down her abdomen as his grip on her hair tightened. She hissed and turned her head in his grasp to relieve some of the pressure as he ran his jaw along the delicate skin of her abdomen. Booth felt the muscles jumping as he rubbed the stubbled of his five o'clock shadow along her body.

As he moved back up her body, Booth chuckled softly when he noticed the marks he left on her skin. Good thing they'll be covered by her clothing, he thought. Except those. Dark bruises mar the delicate skin of her throat. Taking a moment to be tender, he leaned over her and kissed the spots, circling his tongue over them to soothe the ache. She sighed and closed her eyes again as his lips teased their way back up to her lips.

Brennan could feel the warmth pooling in her belly and tried to press her thighs together to relieve a bit of the ache there, but Booth was standing in the way. He loosened the grasp he had on her hair and slid his hands to her waist, tracing a line down her back as he did so. Brennan moaned quietly, sounding almost like a content kitten as he pulled her against him, her legs wrapping around him instinctively.

It's his turn to gasp as she pressed her hips into his insistently, her mouth seeking his and her grip on his hair tightening.

"Easy Bones," he murmured, picking her up completely and stumbling toward his bedroom door. After knocking over a lamp and kicking an ottoman out of the way which in turn hit the wall and caused a picture to fall, they finally fell onto the door jamb of his room. Booth reached for the handle, trying to desperately find it as he kept his lips locked onto hers. He pulled away from her for a moment and sighed in frustration. "Damn it, where is that handle?" He struggled to get a grip on it in his anticipation. After a moment, Brennan slid her hand over his and turned the handle effortlessly. Booth grinned at her as the door slid open. "You should have done that sooner." He dropped his mouth onto hers once more and stumbled into the room kicking the door closed behind them.

XxXxX

Noor sang quietly to herself as the bathtub filled up. At least the shouting in the other room had finally stopped. Hopefully whatever the problem between them was, it was solved and she could concentrate on getting Seeley Booth's attention back onto her before the week was up. There was just something about the interaction between the pair.

She turned off the water and dropped her robe as she toed the steaming water. She paused though as she heard an odd sound from the other room. It sounded like a crash.

"Seeley, is everything okay," she called out, but got no response. Frowning, she picked up her robe and slipped it back on as she headed for the door to the main room. As she opened her door she could see Booth's close with a slam. Looking around, she noticed that Brennan was not there, and a picture lay broken on the floor by an ottoman. "Damn it," she muttered and crossed her arms. That anthropologist had too much of a pull on him. There had to be something she could do to draw his attention back to her.

As Noor turned back to her bedroom, a file on the coffee table caught her attention. It was the case file. Maybe if she could help locate their perp, she would be seen as the better woman. Grinning, she picked up the file and took it with her. It couldn't hurt to look it over. Besides, she needed some good reading material for her bath and this could prove to be somewhat fascinating.

XxXxX

Temperance woke up and rubbed a hand over her face, wincing when she trailed it down the side of her neck. She'd forgotten about the bruises there.

"I'm sorry about that," Booth murmured as he wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her toward him. There was something vulnerable in his sleep filled voice, and it pulled at her a little bit. Brennan rolled over to face him and placed her head against his chest, listening to the steady beat of his heart.

"It's nothing. I can cover them with some make-up." Brennan inhaled, taking in his scent, that smell that was so masculine and utterly sexy.

"I shouldn't have bitten so hard."

"You know, one of the theories that anthropologists and sociologists have about the appeal of vampires is the raw sexuality of the mythic creatures. If you think about it, a person is at their most vulnerable with their throat exposed, and the insertion of their teeth into the flesh there is akin to sexual intercourse."

"Only you Temperance would bring up vampires right now." Booth placed a gentle kiss to her temple and tightened his grip on her. He glanced around the room quickly and shook his head in slight disbelief. They had been locked in such a furious battle of sexual dominance that the place was in shambles. He wasn't sorry it happened, and it had been a great release, but his only regret was the way it happened. He'd always pictured their first time together as following a romantic dinner and dancing on a softly lit floor.

"I'm just saying that the raw sexuality of the creatures is a mythical representation of man's baser desires. A vampire doesn't live by the normal mores that society does. They aren't afraid of their own sexuality and appeal." So much for the romantic thoughts.

"Not that this conversation isn't fun, but we still need to go over the case file, and," Booth glanced at the clock. It was after eight already? "We need to eat. I don't know about you, but I worked up a bit of an appetite." Booth let go of Brennan and slid from the bed, gathering his clothes to get dressed. Temperance sat up also and held a sheet up against her small frame.

"Do you have a shirt I can use? Mine is still out in the living room." Booth paused as he stepped into his boxers. Both of their shirts were out there, and Noor had no doubt seen the mess they created. That probably wasn't going to stand too well with her. He shook off the thought and went to his suitcase to pull out a shirt. There was nothing they could do about it now.

"Here you go," he said and tossed the tee shirt to her. She held it up before slipping it on. The picture on the front was that of a stylized metallic Tyrannosaurus with the words 'Me Grimlock kick butt' underneath it.

"I've always been fond of Bumblebee myself," she said as she climbed from the bed and searched for her underwear. Booth looked at her in surprise. "What? I used to watch the cartoon with Russ when we were kids."

"You know, just when I think I have you figured out, you go and surprise me," he said as he tossed the small scrap of material to her. He watched her as she slid the satin boy cut underwear up her long legs until they were in place and hugging the curves of her ass.

"I'm surprised you think you have me figured out at all," she called out over her shoulder and sauntered from the room only wearing the panties and tee shirt. Shaking his head, he followed her out almost anticipating the cat fight that would ensue once Noor saw her.


	7. Chapter 7

"I need you to look in the database and see if you can come up with anything similar. I'm fairly certain I've seen this scenario before." Noor looked up from her telephone call as Brennan and Booth emerged from the bedroom. A frown marred her face for a second before she masked it with indifference once more. "Of course I can hold."

"Have you had breakfast," Booth asked her as she fiddled with her pen. She nodded her head before turning her gaze on Brennan.

"That shirt is a bit juvenile, isn't it?" Temperance looked down once at the shirt and shrugged.

"I'm borrowing it from Booth," she said as she picked up her own shirt. Noor opened her mouth to make a comment, but quickly closed it and wrote down some information on a pad of paper in front of her.

"Yes, thank you, I owe you one." She flipped her cell phone shut and looked up at the pair.

"I looked over your file and have put together a profile of your rapist." Booth and Brennan both turned toward Noor with looks of incredulity on their faces.

"Noor, you were told not to interfere on this case," Booth said, trying to keep himself calm. Now would not be the time to explode. The same couldn't be said of Brennan.

"You aren't authorized to work on this case!"

"And I told you that I have the certifications to provide assistance."

"We have experts working with us from Washington DC, including someone who can provide criminal profiles. You had no right to look through that file. You're compromising the case! When this goes to court, it could be thrown out because of your interference."

"My assistance will not cause a problem."

"Noor, yes it will," Booth said, his jaw clenching reflexively. He'd tried to put up with her childish streak and not cause any waves. "The situation was already complicated enough. Do you have any idea how bad it's going to look when the defense brings up the fact that I was pulled from the case and then put back on it due to mitigating circumstances? They'll show me to be incompetent for not keeping a confidential file that way."

"It's not your fault she got herself thrown in jail."

"She's my partner, and I look out for her. You were the one to get me pulled from the case initially."

"I told you why I asked for you specifically."

"What you say and what your ultimate purpose is are two different things," Temperance said, crossing her arms. "The only thing I've seen you try to do is to start up a relationship with Booth. You asked for him specifically because you have a past with him, not because he's better at providing security. If you need protection, it's up to the State Department to provide it, not the FBI."

"Oh, this coming from the woman who turned him down and then slept with him at the first opportunity."

"My relationship with Booth is of no concern to you."

"It is when he's on duty providing my security. How was it you put it? He's always on duty? It wasn't okay when I was expressing interest, but now that you've gone and slept with him it's suddenly okay? You are a hypocrite. At least I've always been honest about my intentions." Brennan moved across the room, and before Noor or Booth could react, the anthropologist slugged the diplomat.

"Bones!" She looked over at Booth, the anger evident on her face. Noor held her own hand over her cheek in shock. As he stepped up to Brennan and maneuvered her away from Noor, he looked at the younger woman. "What the hell are you thinking?"

"I am not going to let her insult me like that Seeley."

"Spite doesn't suit you at all. You listen to me. You are going to sit on that couch until we are ready to go. Then we are going to the FBI field office where someone else will be assigned to you. This has gone far enough and if you're going to blatantly disregard orders, then I can't have you around."

"You can't do that! I have to be at a symposium on peace at the Museum of Man in Balboa Park in two hours. I can't be late to that."

"Funny thought you talking about peace," Brennan said under her breath as Booth gave her an admonishing look. She sighed and left the room to get ready for the day, leaving Booth to face Noor alone.

"Look, we'll get you to your damn symposium, but after that, I'm pulling myself from your security. This ends now."

"You sleep with her in desperation and then become mad at me?" Booth looked at her and let out a wry laugh.

"Sleeping with you would have been in desperation, not with Temperance. Be ready to go in an hour, and don't you dare touch that file again." Booth strode over to the coffee table and picked up the case file, carrying it back to his room as Noor remained unmoving and shocked at his comment.

XxXxX

The short drive to Balboa Park was done in silence, as was the walk to the museum. Temperance for one was glad for the peaceful atmosphere of the cultural park as people strolled down El Prado, and various street performers attracted small audiences. Lush gardens lined the walk in between the Spanish Renaissance style buildings. The soothing atmosphere allowed for a nice break in the tension, and she could feel herself relaxing a little after the tense morning. As the trio reached the museum, Brennan's phone rang, sounding garishly loud in the peacefulness of the walk.

"Brennan," she answered, not checking the caller id.

"Sweetie, do you want to tell me why in the hell I had to hear on the news this morning that you were arrested?"

"I was only allowed one phone call and needed to get some legal representation."

"What?"

"I called Caroline."

"Why did you get arrested in the first place? Did it have something to do with your date?" Brennan sighed as they made the turn into the Museum of Man, its sculpted walls looming high above them. As they entered the hall, Booth pointed to a side wall.

"You two stay there. I have a phone call to make." He walked off to an alcove and pulled out his phone. Brennan watched him and then looked over at Noor warily. She did not want to have to be alone with the rather childish diplomat.

"Yes Angela, it had something to do with my date. Look, I'll talk to you about it later, I promise, but for now I can't talk."

"Well you'd better have some serious explaining ready because Cam's on the warpath. She's been on the phone all day with reporters assuring them that we weren't harboring any criminals."

"Look, I'll link up later via satellite and explain everything then."

"You'd better Sweetie. Talk to you then."

"You too. Bye Ange." Brennan snapped her phone shut and glanced over at Booth. Whoever he was talking to had him very clearly agitated. He was gesturing wildly, but managed to keep his voice down as more delegates for the symposium arrived. Temperance spared a glance for Noor, who was now engaged in conversation with a man in a cowboy hat. Resigned to the fact that she was going to just have to wait for Booth to get back, Brennan began to look around the museum's main hall. In the center of the room were several Mayan artifacts with placards explaining their importance. As the room divided from there into three separate chambers, stairs led to the second story and an exhibit on human evolution while the other led to an exhibit on the lives and rituals of Native Panamanians. Intrigued, Brennan headed for the exhibit, gesturing to Booth that she was going to take a look. With a look of frustration, he nodded and continued with his phone call.

"Dr. Brennan? Well as I live and breathe! I never expected to see such a renowned anthropologist here in our museum." Brennan looked at the man who was practically hopping with excitement.

"I was in town, and am here with a colleague. I'm sorry, but you haven't given your name."

"Oh, where are my manners? I'm Dr. Tomas Svoboda, curator of this museum. I just sent a request to have your institution authenticate some remains discovered near our 'Old Town'."

"I'm sure we'd be quite willing to help with that authentication Dr. Svoboda." Temperance looked up over the man's head to the second level of the museum. A man was standing off in the shadows, but his stance suggested that he was tense and carrying something heavy.

"We're planning an exhibit in conjunction with the Natural History Museum on San Diego History. These remains are important as we've no idea as of yet whether they are those of native inhabitants or the Spanish who settled the area."

"I'll talk to my boss and see if I can stay a few days to assist with the authentication so the remains won't be compromised during transport if you'd like." She frowned and watched as the man in the shadows turned. There was something odd about what he was carrying.

"You would do that? Dr. Brennan, I'm honored, really." She offered the curator a distracted nod and smile, then gasped as she finally recognized what the man on the second floor was holding. She pushed past the curator, not stopping to apologize as she ran straight for Noor.

"Booth!" When he turned, he saw her slam into Noor and heard the distinct sound of a gun firing. It took him only a moment to spot the perpetrator as he whipped out his own gun and fired, hitting the man in the head. Screams filled the halls of the museum and people ducked down, hiding behind walls and display cases to be out of the line of fire.

Booth dropped his arm to his side and sucked in a breath. He could hear Cullen over the line, but couldn't make out what his boss was saying. Snapping his phone shut, he turned to look at Noor and Bones. Noor was lying on the ground, her hand to the back of her head and wincing. Brennan however wasn't moving.

"Bones, you okay," Booth asked, fear tingeing his voice as he moved over to the women. His breath caught in his throat as he saw the spreading crimson stain blossoming through her shirt.


	8. Chapter 8

_AN: Well, this is the second to last chapter for Girl in the Ocean. I only have to tie up a few loose ends, and then we'll be continuing onto another case. There will be four stories in all, so I hope you stick around for all of them. Until then, sit back, relax and enjoy the update for Girl in the Ocean._

"Agent Booth, do you want to tell me why you hung up on me earlier?" Booth could hear the barely controlled anger in his boss' voice. He ran a hand through his hair and glanced over at Noor. The woman hadn't made a sound since the incident at the museum.

"I apologize for that sir, but the threat against Ambassador Haddad presented itself and I had to take care of the situation."

"So let me get this straight. You called before to have someone else assigned to protect the ambassador and now you're telling me the threat against her is taken care of."

"Yes sir."

"And why exactly did you want to be reassigned?" Great, Booth thought. This is what he'd been dreading.

"The ambassador got a hold of the case file for the murder Bones and I are investigating." The silence on the line was heavy with tension.

"What the hell were you doing that allowed a confidential file to fall into someone else's hands?" Bones, Booth thought to himself. Like there was any way he was going to tell his boss the truth. Better to hedge than let the cat out of the bag. He opened his mouth to answer, but Cullen beat him to the punch. "Did you just say Bones?" Shit, did I say that out loud?

"I…"

"You listen to me, and you listen good Agent Booth. I'm sending an agent to retrieve Ambassador Haddad. When they get there, you're to turn over your badge and gun to them. From this moment, you're suspended pending a trial with the review board. You are also to turn over all case work to the agent. Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes sir."

"I have never been so disappointed in one of my agents. I honestly thought you had more sense than that." With that, Cullen hung up. Booth fought the urge to throw his phone across the room, and instead punched the wall. A wave of pain shot up his arm as he heard a loud crack. Cursing, he grabbed his hand and cradled it to him. Well if he had to break his hand at least he was in a hospital.

"Agent Booth? Dr. Brennan is out of surgery. She's lost a lot of blood, but will have a full recovery."

"Can I see her?" The doctor glanced at Booth's hand and quirked a smile.

"Why don't we take care of that hand first."

XxXxX

Temperance grimaced as she opened her eyes. Her throat was raw and her mouth felt as though it was coated in wool. Her doctor stood at the end of the bed looking over her chart when he caught her movement.

"Ah Temperance, you're awake. How do you feel?"

"Like I've been shot." She shifted in her bed, gasping as pain shot through her body. The doctor reached over and handed her the remote for the bed. As she adjusted the mattress to a more comfortable position, the doctor set down her chart and looked at her.

"Well, that's definitely an apt descriptor."

"Where's my partner," she asked as she glanced around the room.

"He's getting his hand set currently. He'll be in once he's taken care of." Brennan had a feeling she knew exactly what had happened, and it involved the collision of his fist with a solid object. "What are your feelings regarding having children."

"You aren't going to tell me I'm pregnant are you, because there's no way I could be."

"No, you aren't pregnant. The bullet passed through your abdomen and did a number on your uterus. We were able to repair the damage, but it's highly unlikely that you'll ever be able to conceive due to the amount of scar tissue that could build up."

"Oh." Well that was unexpected. "I wasn't planning to have children."

"Well then, there's nothing to worry about. Other than that, you should have no complications. I'd like for you to stay for the week so we can monitor you for any infections. After that you can head home. Do you have any questions for me?"

"No, I think I'm okay." The doctor nodded and headed from the room. As he left, Noor stepped inside. Brennan looked at her, her mouth setting into a grim line.

"Dr. Brennan, I feel I must apologize for my actions the last couple of days. My attitude toward you was uncalled for."

"I would really like for you to leave now."

"If there's anything I can do…"

"Noor, you've done enough. Just please leave."

"Yes, of course." Noor turned and left Brennan alone. Once the other woman was gone, Brennan placed her hand gently over her abdomen. She felt oddly ambiguous over the news that she wouldn't be able to have children. This was something she most certainly didn't want to tell Booth. Brennan had the odd thought that he would somehow distance himself if he knew she was incapable of having children.

"Just stop that," she muttered to herself and moved her hand. "He knows you don't want children, this isn't going to change anything."

"Who are you talking to," Booth asked as he stuck his head inside the room.

"No one. Are you coming in?" She motioned to the chair by her bed as he stepped inside.

"I thought you could use something to brighten your day." He set a huge bouquet of flowers down on a bedside table. Brennan's gaze honed in on the fresh cast covering one of his hands. Deciding not to comment on it for the moment, she looked up at him.

"How did Cullen react?"

"Not good. Don't worry about that right now. I'm more concerned about you."

"I'll be fine. This isn't the worst I've been hurt." A man in a suit stopped in the doorway. Booth glanced once at him before turning back to Temperance.

"Bones, I'll be back in a minute, okay?"

"Is something going on?"

"No, everything's okay. I'll be back." He gave her hand a squeeze and followed the suited man to the waiting room.

"Agent Booth?"

"Yeah."

"I need your gun and badge." Booth nodded grimly as he handed over his badge, removed the magazine from his gun and gave both pieces to the agent. Noor watched quietly from the sidelines.

"Seeley, what's going on?" Booth turned to her, anger written across his features.

"Due to outside interference, I'm on suspension pending a hearing. Now if you'll excuse me, I need to see my partner." Without further comment, he left the agent and Noor standing in the waiting room. To hell with them he thought as he stalked down the hall. There were plenty of other things he could do with his life. Unfortunately he was having trouble coming up with anything. As he reached Brennan's room again, he came in and offered her a smile. "See, I told you I'd be right back."

"Booth, did they suspend you?" Booth let out a sigh as he took up the seat next to her bed.

"Let's not talk about that, okay? I have time to spend with you, and I'm not leaving San Diego until you get out of the hospital."

"Cullen had no right…"

"He had every right to discipline me for what happened. I let a case file get into unauthorized hands, and if I weren't so caught up in removing myself from protecting Noor, then you wouldn't have been hurt."

"You are not going to blame yourself for what happened. When I get out of here, I'll speak to Cullen. You shouldn't be punished for what Noor did."

"Bones, don't worry about it, okay? Everything will play out the way it's going to, and at this point, nothing you or I say is going to change that. Now what do you say we settle down and watch some TV. There's no better way I can think of to pass the time."

"Fine, but if you think this is the last we're discussing this, then you're wrong."


	9. Chapter 9

"Well Cherie, you've got some luck on your side

"Well Cherie, you've got some luck on your side. Mr. Grabby has decided to drop all charges against you. Apparently he didn't realize that having you arrested would make the nightly news for days on end. To save a little face, he's willing to admit he was a tad overenthusiastic with you." Caroline stood at the end of Brennan's hospital bed as she looked down on the anthropologist.

"If he thinks that's going to convince me to drop the charges against him, he's gravely mistaken." Brennan crossed her arms and set her expression to petulant. Caroline shook her head at the doctor.

"I had a feeling you'd say that. The trial date is set for two weeks from now. I'll see you back in town then. For now, I'm going back to DC. Never could stand the Golden State, too false for me."

"Thank you for everything Caroline."

"You're welcome Cherie, and don't think this doesn't mean you don't owe me. I just haven't decided on the terms yet." Caroline quirked a smile at her before turning and leaving Brennan alone in the room. The anthropologist sighed and leaned back against the raised mattress. She was waiting for Booth to return so she could get dressed and leave the sterile environment. Speak of the devil, she thought at the knock on her door. Booth stood there with a travel bag in his hand.

"Hey you," he said as he entered the room. He set the bag down before dropping into the chair by her bedside. "I picked up everything you asked for."

"Thanks. I can't wait to get out of here." Brennan reached for the bag and began to riffle through it. "I have to stay in town until the trial, so I'll be working with the Museum of Man on some authentications."

"Well, I wish I could stay with you, but I have to get back to DC. I finally got a call from Cullen. The review board wants to see me tomorrow." He ran a hand through his hair and sighed.

"I still can't believe you were suspended. You didn't do anything wrong."

"Yeah well try explaining that to my boss. I did let Noor get hold of that file, and he knows that you and I slept together, so I don't think that is going to be in my favor." Brennan looked at him, stunned.

"You told Cullen we had sex? Why would you do that?"

"It's not like I meant to, it just sort of slipped out."

"Booth, they could pull you from out partnership."

"Bones, at this point that's the least of my worries. I'm more concerned about whether or not I have to start looking for a new job." Brennan pinched her mouth shut. He was right, that was the greater worry. She decided to drop the argument for once and just let it be. There was nothing to gain from flinging accusations anyhow.

"I talked to Angela this morning. She said that Sweets confirmed the profile that Noor drew up on the rapist. The FBI is looking for a couple, not a single individual. Rebecca had to feel comfortable enough to get into a car with a strange person, and since most women wouldn't willingly get into a vehicle with an unknown male, the thinking is that a female accomplice is involved."

"Great, at least that narrows down the field a little bit."

"Also, I thought you'd want to know that Rebecca's date from that night, Bradley? He's going to be charged with criminal neglect for leaving her in that parking lot alone." Booth shook his head and sighed.

"Well, I can't say that I'm happy with the outcome, but at least some justice is going to come of it."

"We wouldn't have been able to charge anyone with murder anyway. All evidence points to the fact that she was raped, and then fell off a cliff while being pursued by her attacker." Brennan looked at Booth and noticed the weary expression that seemed to settle over his features. It was as if he were aging before her very eyes.

"You know, sometimes I think Sully had the right idea to just chuck it all and sail off into the sunset."

"What are you talking about?"

"Don't you get tired of all the murder Bones? Don't you sometimes just wish that the bodies would stop showing up, that there wasn't a need for us?"

"You aren't thinking of quitting are you?" Booth didn't miss the hint of panic in her voice.

"Do I want to quit? No. Will I be fired? I guess we're going to find out. I just…I don't know, maybe I just need to take some time off, spend it with Parker."

"Oh." She couldn't help the disappointment that she felt. She was of course the one to put the final brakes on a future relationship when she'd said no, but after their night together, she was reconsidering her decision. Now though, it seemed like maybe he didn't want to further things. It wasn't like she could blame him, not after how she'd treated him.

"Well, I hate to leave, but I need to get packed before I head to the airport. Are you going to be okay getting back to your hotel?"

"Oh, yes. I called the concierge and they're sending a car to pick me up."

"Okay, great. I'll call you as soon as I know what the future holds for me." Booth stood and turned to the door. A gentle hand on his arm kept him from leaving, and he turned back to face Temperance.

"Booth?"

"Yeah Bones?"

"What are we?" At his puzzled expression, she continued on. "I mean are we going to remain partners, or are we going to be something more than that?"

"That's up to you Temperance. You know how I feel about that already." She looked at him a long moment before glancing down at the sheets on her hospital bed.

"I think that it would be foolish not to acknowledge the changes that have occurred in our relationship." Booth's lip quirked up and he shook his head. He slowly leaned down and kissed her lips before standing back up.

"Don't stay here too long Bones. I think you owe me a dinner date." As she smiled back at him, he left the room, neither sure about what the fate of their working relationship would be.

XxXxX

"I'd like to make it perfectly clear that any chaos caused while Agent Booth was in San Diego is my fault." Noor sat before a panel in the FBI building. Cullen looked over several reports before looking up at the young woman before him.

"What makes you say that Ambassador Haddad?"

"I asked for Agent Booth to be assigned as my protection because of a past physical relationship I had with him. When it became obvious that his feelings for me were not compatible with mine, I used poor judgment in an attempt to prove my worth to him."

"Your poor judgment involves taking a confidential file I take it?"

"Yes. Earlier I had tried to convince both Agent Booth and Dr. Brennan that I could assist them on their case, but was told that I was not authorized to help. While they…discussed other matters, I took the file knowing that they were too preoccupied to notice."

"What exactly do you mean by 'discussing other matters'?" Cullen leaned forward in his chair and folded his hands on the desk before him. Noor took a deep breath before looking him in the eye.

"If you are asking whether or not they were engaged in intimate activities then the answer is no. Agent Booth and Dr. Brennan are much too respectful of others to do something of that nature while others are around." Cullen stared at her for a long moment before nodding his head.

"Thank you Ambassador Haddad. Your testimony will be taken into consideration by this panel." Noor gave a brief nod and stood up to leave. As she reached the door, she turned back around.

"Director Cullen, let me make one thing quite clear. If Agent Booth loses his position because of my actions, then I will go above your head to have him reinstated." A general murmur of shock and slight outrage ran through the FBI panel. Noor gave one short, curt nod and left the room.

XxXxX

Booth sat outside the conference room unable to control the butterflies that seemed to have taken residence in his stomach. For once his gut didn't have an opinion either way on his likely fate, and it was making him twitchy. He tapped his heels on the ground over and over while checking his watch for what seemed like the millionth time. How could a decision take so long? Hadn't they already looked over the reports?

The door opened and Cullen stepped out into the hallway. Booth stood up and ran a hand down his tie in an effort to flatten it against his chest.

"We're ready for you Agent Booth." Seeley nodded once and followed his boss into the conference room. As Cullen made his way back behind the desk with the other panel members, Booth sat down in a chair facing them. "You understand the charges that have been raised against you?"

"Yes sir." He was holding his breath. His fate now rested in the hands of the panel members.

"After reviewing all testimony, we have decided to reinstate you as a Special Agent. You will however be under scrutiny for any future acts that are unbecoming of an agent of your stature."

"I understand. Will I continue working with the Jeffersonian on cases that need their expertise?" Cullen looked down at Booth with a hard expression.

"While your partnership remains intact for the time being, if there is even one slip up, or if I get word that you are involved outside of the work environment, then your partnership shall be terminated immediately. I don't know what really happened in California, but your behavior regarding Dr. Brennan is partially to blame for the situation that arose. Please see to it that you remain professional."

"Yes of course sir." Booth nodded. Cullen glanced from him and back to the reports.

"This incident is going on your permanent record. One more slip up like this and I can't say that we'll be so forgiving. Do you have anything you'd like to add?"

"No sir. I believe everything is clear on the subject."

"Good, then you're dismissed." With a curt nod, Booth stood and left the room. His stomach unclenched and he breathed a sigh of relief as he headed to retrieve his badge and his gun. He was keeping his job, and more importantly he was still partners with Brennan. Now he had to find a way to keep his relationship with her off of the radar, but that shouldn't be too difficult. They could after all be incredibly discreet. With a smile, he pulled out his cell phone. There was a phone call he had to make. His Bones needed to hear the news.

_AN: Okay all, that's the end. This is just a note to let you know that this is the first in a series of stories that will be known as the Butterfly Effect. Next up in the series will be The Wrestler in the Swamp. Look for it in the future, as I need to take a short break from writing fanfiction and concentrate on my actual television spec scripts. Wish me luck as I attempt to write well enough to get a job in television. Hopefully I can end up on Bones. We can only hope right? I'll keep you all updated on my progress. Until then, thank you for reading and keep an eye out for me in future._


End file.
